Known as the “high priestess of anarchy”, Louise Michel was a nineteenth-century novelist, poet, playwright, orator, and revolutionary. Born in 1830 in Vroncourt, Michel was the daughter of Marianne, the housekeeper for the aristocratic, turned-republican Demahis family. Although the identity of her father has never been confirmed, it is generally believed to be Laurent, son of Etienne-Charles and Louise Charlotte Maxence Porcquet who, with her mother, raised Louise Michel as the

demoiselle

of the chateau. Her paternal grandparents never allowed the circumstances of Louise’s birth to hinder her education, despite the fact that Michel occasionally felt marginalized by her illegitimate status (Thomas 15). Inspired by Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s educational philosophy, the Demahis…

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Citation: Tuttle, Elizabeth. "Louise Michel". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 09 August 2016 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=13590, accessed 19 March 2024.]

13590 Louise Michel 1 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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